Torsion bars have been used in assisting in the opening and raising doors and lids of vehicles. Typically, the torsion bar has at least two U-shaped portions that are typically formed by bending the bar. When the door is open, one of the U-shaped portions contacts the underside of the door and the other U-shaped portion contacts the structure adjacent the door. When the door is closed, it pushes one of the radially extending portions towards the other, twisting the rod and creating a spring-like tension in the rod.
It is also known to use torsion bars to open trunk lids and hoods in automobiles. However, there may be a number of desirable parameters in designing a door lifting mechanism. For example, it may be desirable to provide a “pop-up” force to raise the trunk lid a short distance from its locked position without any outside assistance. It may also be desirable to provide a “hold open” force which will support the door in a position where it is placed.
In order to provide sufficient force, the use of a pair of torsion bars is known where the torsion bars are mounted to cross each other. However, such an installation is ergonomically difficult as often times the torsion bars are installed manually.